BCCI chief selector Ajit Agarkar has likely chaired his final selection meeting, bringing an end to a tenure marked by world titles, key retirements, and major transitions.
BCCI senior chief selector Ajit Agarkar appears to have chaired his last selection committee meeting ahead of his tenure ending early next week. In his final assignment, the Agarkar-led panel selected national squads for three One-Day Internationals and five Twenty20 Internationals against the West Indies, as well as the Rest of India side to face Ranji Trophy champions Jammu & Kashmir in the Irani Cup.
Taking over as chairman in July 2023, Agarkar initially formed a strong core alongside then-captain Rohit Sharma and head coach Rahul Dravid. Under this setup, India surged to the final of the 2023 home 50-over World Cup and later won an unbeaten T20 World Cup campaign in Bridgetown in June 2024.
Transition followed when Gautam Gambhir succeeded Dravid as head coach. India suffered a 0-3 home series loss to New Zealand in late 2024 and a 1-3 defeat in Australia. During that Australian tour, off-spinner R. Ashwin retired midway through the series, while both Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli retired from Test cricket in May 2025.
Tasked with steering a major transition, Agarkar's panel appointed Shubman Gill as Test captain. Gill guided India to a 2-2 series draw in England, scoring 754 runs, including a top score of 269 in Birmingham. Gill was also brought back into the T20I setup as vice-captain to Suryakumar Yadav and handed the ODI captaincy last October.
Reporting sourced from The Hindu Sport. Photo courtesy The Hindu Sport.